As a result, Robert Weissman, President ofPublic Citizen,the national reform group spearheading the drive to repealCitizens United, last week issued an alert to its DC members in advance of a critical April 3 primary election when volunteers will be stationed outside polling places to gather signatures:

In Washington, D.C., corporations are permitted to make direct contributions to candidates. That's an invitation to scandal, and new reports are emerging every day about improper corporate spending in the last District election.

D.C.'s pay-to-play politics are a direct impediment to addressing critical issues like education, affordable housing and the District's yawning income and wealth divides.

It will take about 23,000 signatures to get Initiative 70 on the ballot this November. That will take concerned D.C. residents volunteering now to become neighborhood leaders, gather petition signatures or volunteer during the primary on April 3.

Although not meant as comprehensive reform, it's an important first step in the attempt to wrest control of city government from free-spending businessmen and political leaders immersed in a pay-for-pay culture. That is why theInitiative 70to ban corporate donations altogether in local campaigns is the opening salvo in anoverdue attackon the city's deeply-rooted corruption. A shoe-string but aggressivefield campaignseeking extra volunteers is underway asking for 30,000 verified signatures to insure ballot placement -- shooting for half that amount with a full-fledged petition drive reaching out to voters in the city's low-profile April 3 primary -- to get a law on the November ballot banning corporate funding of campaigns.

One of Orange'sbiggest donors, Medicaid health-care tycoon Jeffrey Thompson, had his home and offices raided last month by federal agents looking at a suspicious pattern of donations from Thompson, his companies and allies topping at least $730,000 for local races. The Orange campaign'sreceipt of $26,000 in suspicious money ordersseemingly designed to circumvent cash donation restrictions -- most from Thomas associates or their allies' relatives signed with virtually identical hand-writing -- is part of the federal probe, according toThe Washington Postand NPR affiliateWAMU.

Here's one example of why advocates say the corporate donation ban is so needed: one artfully written piece of legislation introduced by Evans would have drained over $50 million from city revenues benefiting just a few well-heeled corporate donors. It was aa taxation change for eminent domain propertyto be seized by the government. On top of what critics see as such legalized looting of the D.C treasury, even more money has been wasted, stolen and, in some cases, just diverted through wildly inflated crony contracts. All told, according to theRepublican whistleblower Tim Daywho exposed Thomas's wrongdoing and is running for his seat, federal investigators and prosecutors with whom he his cooperating have found at least $20 million misappropriated or illegally wasted in both 2009 and 2010. The full cost and scope of the waste and corruption is not yet known.

Surprisingly ,this primary election may not lead voters to throw the rascals out, but to re-electing them.

Because of the election's low visibility, political analysts say, unaware votersare likely to re-elect those with name recognition and an existing political machine, including Victor Orange in his race for at-large City Council and the still-popular former mayor and ex- prisoner, Marion Barry, a council member representing the impoverished Ward 8. But Vincent Orange faces strong challenges from two opponents who are claiming the mantle of ethics reform: Peter Shapiro, a former county council chairman from neighboring Prince George's County, who is backed by the leading independent progressive group,DC for Democracy,, manyliberal activistsand the influentialGreater Greater Washingtonpolitical blog, while former Board of Education member Sekou Biddle has picked up more high-profile endorsements, including the centrist editorial page ofThe Washington Post.

But, as Shapiro and his allies havesought to point out, Biddle has ties to what Shapiro has called the "good ole boy network that is not in the best interests of residents." When selected for a temporary appointment to the City Council in 2011 by the State Democratic Party, Biddle was supported in aback-room deal by three political leaderswho have all faced federal criminal investigations and ethical questions: luxury car-lovingCouncil Chairman Kwame"Fully Loaded"Brown, the now-disgraced Harry Thomas Jr., and Marion Barry.

During debates, Biddle has sidestepped questions about past endorsements from the ethically challenged. "Last year, I was supported by a number of elected officials," Biddle said. "This year, I am not...I have been running very hard..."

Whatever the political results in this primary, the grass-roots activists seeking to ban corporate domination of city politics plan to be out in force at the city's polling places to gather signatures for Initiative 70. Sylvia Brown, the chairman of DC Public Trust says, "I believe that a ban on direct corporate contributions will be a big step toward getting rid of play to play politics and restoring public confidence in DC government."

Most sitting councilmembers aren't supporting this ballot initiative. Their desperate excuse is that a ban on direct corporate funding of campaigns could push corporate dollars into the shady world of political action committees.

But the council has the authority to regulate those PACs, so that argument rings hollow.

Those councilmembers would actually have you believe that the current system of direct corporate contributions to campaigns is transparent by comparison. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Corporate contributors make a mockery of campaign finance rules by cloning themselves to circumvent contribution limits. Corporate donors bundle checks from each of their corporate subsidiaries, even if those subsidiaries do nothing but write checks to councilmembers.

Supporters of Initiative 70 hope that the signature drive on primary day, April 3, will be the opening round of the battle to end - or at least limit -- corruption in Washington's local political scene.

"Shapiro,who is backed by the leading independent progressive group,DC for Democracy,many liberal activists and the influential Greater Greater Washington political blog..."I guess the City Paper and the Northwest Current, Howard Dean, etc. do not rate a mention for Biddle's endorsements. Sekou is the right choice and based on your analysis, if anyone running for office ever gets support from anyone on the Council, they are part of the problem?Sign the petition and vote Biddle April 3rd.

Biddle and Shapiro both support Initiative 70 and comprehensive ethics reform. Neither has been publicly accused of any ethical problems. It detracts from your article to drag into it the flimsy rhetoric of your favored candidate, Shapiro, to score a partisan point when the real issue is supporting the initiative. Very poor judgment on your part. I will be voting for Biddle, but please sign the petition regardless of which candidate you support.

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